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Electric and Hybrid Smart Cars: Fuel efficiency gone mad
Autos – The Smart car is not known for its speed but what it is known for is its superb fuel efficiency, which is why we thought it was very strange to hear that there is to be an Electric and Hybrid version of this small Mercedes vehicle.
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Those kind of cars would work well if they had restrictions on car size and weight in certain areas of town. It'd be great if they made certain areas that were "pedestrian/electric car only" for example, as being no-emissions is great, but it does tend to be in a car that would end up flattened in an accident with a gas guzzler. Heck, I'm waiting for the day when they refuse to renew the regestration of cars that get less than 20mpg (of course giving tax credits and the like so people can afford to buy a more eco-friendly version). If you have three cars that give no-emissions, and one exhaust-spewing antique, you'll still have problems.
The thing people don't like to talk about is the fact that our entire system of roads and living arrangements was pretty much set in time when gas was cheap and commute wasn't an issue. We're working against the very structures we live and work in, and it'll be a difficult path all the way.
LOL, I am LAUGHING OUT LOUD, the Smart CAR is a "STUPID CAR". Mercedes should be ashamed of creating such a; I guess Automobile. The actual specification of the Stupid Car are at least 10 to 15 years old and are something that I could build in my garage in my spare time, 0 to 60 in 20 seconds and a range of just 70 miles, what a JOKE. Before a Electric car be practical Mercedes engineers should KNOWN that it must have a range of 500-600 status miles before being recharged, carry FOUR adults (at least) comfortably, be affordable as compared to gasoline cars (cheaper is better) and be safe and fun to drive. These are just SOME of the starter requirements that are necessary for successful Electric car completion. The Mercedes does not come close to solving the hybrid/electric problem as Mercedes has sunk it stake into a Hydrogen powered vehicle that will also be a JOKE. Kill the "Stupid Car" before the production cycle it is a failure.
Most people drive no more than 20-30 miles a day for their commutes. It wouldn't be necessary for the vehicle to have to travel 500 miles before it needs to be recharged. People could just recharge it on a daily basis and they're good to go the next day.
It's a start. I think it would be fine in the city.
I saw a few of these cars in Montreal while visiting last weekend. They take about 3/4 of a regular parking space, if even that. They weigh around 500 lbs., maybe a little more. They are in a word, "cute." Sure for quick trips around town, they are reasonable, and they could be fully charged overnight. Seems sensible for in-city driving, and would reduce air pollution within the cities where smog is a persistent problem.
The owners buy Electric CARS on impulse from dealers and are SUCKER'S .... . I know some people who own a Primas and it is NOT a great car but a sucker's car..... The owner's at first defened the electric car, however now after a year or less they do not...... and wish they has bought GAS.... GAS IS KING!!
eh,let's see,,the government wants me to have a certain number of children,live in a house covered by "carbon " friendly trees,and drive a car that gets up to thirty miles per hour on the freeway.Isn't this how Communism got started?
No, we don't want to limit you to a certain number of kids or a certain car. But what we do want is for you to pay for the damage your lifestyle is doing. If you can still afford to drive a behemoth that gets 15 mpg a mile to Wal*Mart to buy yet another flat-screen TV, go for it. But I refuse to force my kids to pay for your bad decisions.
It may look like a golf cart with headlights, but it still beats the Flintstones. I still like it better than a motorcycle with a side car (who still drives those?). Electric cars do not seem practical, but the hybrids really have a future. At least it will not pollute when sitting in a traffic jam.
I'm sorry the Honda Insight didn't do as well as Honda hoped. Mine gets 60 mpg. They stopped making it in 2006 due to slow sales. It was the original hybrid.
I really wanted an Insight, but with a kid on the way I don't think it would make much sense.
I just wish Toyota made a four-door Yaris hatchback as a hybrid. That would be my ideal car.
The Insight is sweet but it's a 2nd car for work commuting, bought it used. The main mobile is a Honda Civic Hybrid, it has LOADS of room. Gets less than the Insight around 45-50 mpg depending how you drive it. The Prius is nice too though I prefer the earlier sedan models. We almost bought one until the Insight showed up! You can't lose either way with a Prius or Civic Hybrid. Check out the differences here's a link:
http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/compare/prius....
Bear in mind the Honda Technology is the same in the Civic.
I think the point of the headline is there is already a Mercedes Smart Car which is this tiny little thing that makes a Mini Cooper look like an SUV. It gets something like 60 -70 mpg already and is intended for city driving as opposed to lots of highway driving. Can fit into 1/2 parking space when parallel parking and stuff like that.
Why bother taking a car that is already extremely efficient and adding more high tech solutions to it? So you get 80mpg instead of 60? I would like to see the car companies REALLY focus on improving efficiency in the SUV's and the larger sedans and muscle cars -- make the hybrids work in them without sacrificing performance. Face it, Americans, for the most part are NEVER going to give up their luxury cars or SUV's or muscle cars willingly. Improving mileage from 16mg to 30 mpg would have a much bigger impact than improving 40 mpg to 55 mpg which is pretty much what Honda did.
This American has never wanted a luxury car, and has even traded the relative comfort of his economy car for a motor scooter. I traded in my chance at a 3,000 square foot McMansion in the 'burbs for a 1,200 square foot townhome in the city. I traded in my weekly trip to Wal*Mart or Target for a few trips to the farmer's market and local grocer.
Not every American is wasteful and greedy. Some of us realize the consequences of our actions. Why shouldn't car companies cater to us as well as those who choose to use more than they need?
They have icey, here's a little runabout that can make you feel just that little bit better about yourself, while still allowing you to cruise down 5th ave with your head held high.
My wife's trying to get me to consider a Prius, but I'd rather buy a VW Golf TDI. I can put biodiesel in it, which I can make in my basement for around 35 cents per gallon.
Keep in mind the warranty Ice I think if you burn bio it'll void it. Two things to consider: While I'm motoring around with the Civic Hybrid at around 45mph or so with few traffic lights the mileage is around 50 plus. The Prius does pure electric if the battery is charged and you doing between 13-25 mpg.
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"The electric version will have a 41hp electric motor, which will be able to reach speeds up to 69mph and will have a range of 70 miles."
"Charging time for the electric smart car is about 8 hours, and that will cost you about $3 in electric. Do not expect it to break any land speed records, as the electric Smart will only get from 0-60 in about 19.8 seconds. But that is not what the little car is about, it is about helping our environment by having zero emissions."
"The Hybrid Smart MHD or Micro Hybrid Drive has a starter generator, what happens is when the Hybrid Smart car comes to a complete stop or just under 5mph, the gas engine switches off and the electric motor kicks in. The emissions on the Hybrid Smart MHD are thought to be much lower than that of the Toyota Prius."
((I think they are just awesome but I wouldnt want to get into a wreck in one...))
Here you go- a Smart Car crashing at 70mph.
Weigh up your options.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcuimw8ql_A
The car is still in reasonable shape- hate to see your eye sockets though.
it is not exactly zero emissions since most of our electricity comes from coal and natural gas.
Until we build more "green" (solar and wind) and nuclear power generation capacity, electric cars are just a gimmick rather than a realistic approach to reducing pollution.
That being said, this little clown car is a big step forward.
It will be a great test bed for superior batteries and motors. By the time we do have enough clean electricity we will be able to build electric cars the size of my Bonneville with ease.
This is a rather poor argument against electric cars.
In terms of tons of CO2 per power generated, power plants are superior to gasoline engines. $3 in electricity produces a lot less CO2 emissions than $3 in gasoline.
And it's also completely feasible for almost everyone to choose their electricity provider, so I could buy one of these cars and power it with wind, solar, or biomass power, which produce very little CO2 emissions.
So electric cars would be a huge step forward in terms of CO2 emissions. If I could find a place to charge it I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I live in the city and I don't get the same parking space every time, so I can't be sure I'll be within reach of an outlet.